Coming down from last weekend’s “Folsom Street Fair?” Tonight and tomorrow night are two opportunities to to keep the Kink going, at the Gender Health Center’s 3rd annual Gender Bender Ball With the popularity of the last two Balls the event has expanded into two nights. Tonight: New this year is an added event, “Player’s Night: A Flapper & Dapper Soiree,” which will be a formal 1920s themed dinner including beer by Hoppy Brewing, a program produced by Spoken Word Artist/Poet Jovi Radtke, a silent art action featuring art by local artists , a live auction, and a museum full of classic cars! Go to the Gender Bender Ball website to check out the numerous artists featured in the auction al

Councilmember Steve Cohn may have surprised some with his announcement yesterday in SacPress of his next  Screen on the Green event.  As his disclaimer states: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a comedic cult classic with heavy sexual innuendo. It has a MPAA rating of R because the movie contains adult language, brief nudity, and mild violence. The movie is based upon complex adult themes of sexuality and personal freedoms/lifestyles." Screen On The Green working with Movies On A Big Screen have put together a whole program starting about 9 Saturday night leading up to an unprecedented midnight showing of the cult classic in an outdoor Sacramento venue.  And all of this is free.  Free! N

If you’re a fan of Hula-Hoops and a variety of local food, wine and beer, then the Sacramento Zoo’s 10th annual King of Feasts Wine and Food Luau – which will be held Saturday at the zoo – is for you. “The luau is held all over the zoo,” Tonja Swank, public relations coordinator for the Sacramento Zoo, said of the 21-and-over event. “We line the different restaurants, wineries and breweries along different areas of the zoo. Some will be lined along Big Cat Row where the hyenas, snow leopard and where the larger cats are.” Participating restaurants include local favorites such as Zocalo, Taylor’s Kitchen, Kru and Chops Steakhouse. Swank said attendees can expect to find sample-serving siz

Raley Field transformed into a beer connoisseur's paradise Friday night at the fifth annual Raley Field Brewfest. Breweries from around the region partnered with the Northern California Brewers’ Guild to introduce their summer seasonals and rekindle the love for their year-round fan favorites. “I was pleased with both old favorites and new options. It was a great time,” said Sacramento resident Heather Deas. For $30 in advance and $35 at the door, beer enthusiasts were handed a mini-pint glass upon entry and given ten tickets good for one 5 oz. tasting. For $50, “VIP” guests were allowed to enter an hour early and given eight additional tasting tickets. For those left wanting more, addi

There are many kinds of beer drinkers in this world, and Sacramento Beer Week caters to each and every one of them. Starting Friday, restaurants, bars, cafes and brewpubs all around Sacramento will be stocked with great beers for great prices. Beer Week will continue through Sunday, March 6. Until then, the citizens of Sacramento and the surrounding areas will be able to satisfy their liquid palate with regional and local brews, world brews and even a few rare and vintage brews. While their website is a wonderful place to browse for the perfect SBW event, it can be difficult to orient yourself among the 300 or more events. In hopes of eliminating any stress the plethora of drinking event

Thousands converged on Discovery Park Saturday afternoon for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival to taste the ales, lagers, porters and craft brews from over 60 brewers. The festival was organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. All festival proceeds will be donated to the league’s Operation School Bell — a program providing underprivileged youth with adequate clothing for school. Velvet Tongue and Utz! and the Shuttlecocks provided live music as festival-goers sampled beer with 4-ounce glasses and sought refuge in the shade from the summer sun. The participating brewers were mostly local, though there were some from as

Brewers from Maine, Vermont, Ireland and, of course, California will fill Discovery Park Saturday for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival. Around 60 brewpub, distributors and home brewers will be pouring ales, lagers and craft beers for what festival organizers anticipate will be more than 3,000 attendees. Although the festival attracts brewers from across the nation and overseas, the Sacramento region is heavily represented. Rubicon Brewing Company, Hoppy Brewing Company and Brew It Up! are a few locals participating. You can view the full list of brewers here. The festival is organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. A

Hundreds of people converged in the Holiday Inn's convention center at 300 J St. Saturday night for Great Chefs 2010. Restaurants, wineries and breweries came together with area residents to eat, drink and donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area. BBBS is a non-profit organization dedicated to matching adults -- “Bigs” -- with young people -- “Littles” -- ages six to 18 to build lasting relationships and help youth achieve their personal and professional goals. They have chapters in communities all over the country. There was a silent auction where attendees bid on a two-night stay at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento with $50 to Bandera Restaurant and $100 to Yellow

Learning How to be Hoppy by Amber K. Stott   Who knew? Beer is educational! As part of Sacramento Beer Week, Hoppy Brewing Company held hourly brew tours Thursday. In 40 minutes, brewing operations manager Ed Kopta imparted the wisdom of the beer gods to interested listeners.   If you’ve never been on a brew tour, you might expect a quick howdy-do peek at machinery followed by gallons of libations. On the contrary, Hoppy’s tour focused solely on the learning. If you’ve ever appreciated the fine complexities of a microbrew, then you won’t be surprised that the brewing process is also multifaceted.   First, Kopta provided hands-on insight into the world of beer grains. From tiny cups, visito